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There is a strong indication that the rift between former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Seriake Dickson, may have ended.
It was learnt on Wednesday that Mrs. Jonathan had announced her decision to bury the hatchet with Dickson and directed all her loyalists in the state to work selflessly for the Peoples Democratic Party and the re-election of the incumbent in the forthcoming governorship election.
It was further learnt that the decision of the former First Lady to set aside her differences with the governor had led to a major boost in the second term bid of Dickson.
It was gathered from close aides of Patience that the decision to support the PDP and the second term bid of Dickson was to stop the All Progressive Congress from defeating the PDP in Bayelsa and therefore disgrace former President Goodluck Jonathan in his home state.
But other associates claimed that Patience’s decision to reconcile with Governor Dickson was based on the series of interventions by some Bayelsa elders, including the former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Due to this change of mind, Patience was said to have directed his followers and loyalists, including former Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa.
Dudafa is also said to be at loggerheads with Dickson over his alleged anti-PDP activities and sponsorship of some candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
A close relative of Jonathan and former State Commissioner for Special Duties (Federal Project), Mike Ogiasa, confirmed processes that led to the reconciliation between Dickson and Mrs. Jonathan.
He said, “The Jonathans are not known to me. As a close family member, I know her very well. She can suppress her anger against someone and do the right thing. As I am talking to you, I believe, as a typical PDP woman, she can never support another political party against the choice of the PDP.
“In politics, there is unity in diversity. People disagree to agree. It was not a hidden fact that Governor Dickson was at loggerheads with Dame Patience Jonathan. But it is also true that by human nature, she may not have supported Dickson. But she has weighed it and discovered that the election is beyond Dickson.
“And because she is from Bayelsa and Rivers States, she knows what it took the Rivers man to retain the PDP leadership. She cannot now
because of anger allow Bayelsa to be under the APC.
“Though I don’t know who she is supporting but I know that she can never vote the APC against the PDP. If anyone emerges above Dickson at the PDP primaries, she will support the person and if Dickson emerges as flagbearer, I am hundred per cent sure she will support him.”
Ogiasa said the silence of the former President should not be termed to be anti-party posture against the PDP ahead of the forthcoming governorship primaries and election.
He added, “I don’t know how to read body language. But I know that it is not only a body language but a mouth language that the former President cannot support another party against the PDP. If you rely on body language to tell the thinking of Jonathan, you may misjudge him, but I know there is no way he would support APC to take over Bayelsa.”
Though he said he did not know who Jonathan was supporting, but definitely the PDP.
He said the former President knew the importance of second term, stressing that on his part, if Jonathan was supporting Dickson for second term, there was nothing wrong with it.
Culled from Punch Newspaper
